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Golden Door Film festival kicks off
The Golden Door Film Festival will hold its opening gala at the Landmark Loew’s Theatre on Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. This gala is sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger.
The film festival will be held throughout Jersey City at eight different venues including The Loew’s Theater. The two films opening the festival will be “Six Letter Word” and “The Odd Way Home” staring Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.
For more information, please visit the official website: http://goldendoorfilmfestival.org/.
Next step for McGinley Square
A key approval by the Jersey City Planning Board last week clears the way for redevelopment of part of the McGinley Square area. St. Peter’s University along with Sora Development will construct a 22-story tower that will include student, affordable and luxury housing as well as a public garage that will handle more than 700 vehicles. An upscale restaurant is planned for the building as well as commercial and retail outlets on the ground floor. The project is expected to break ground in early 2015.
Micro-unit project gets court approval to move ahead
Hudson County Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Turula has cleared the way for a developer to construct 87 micro units in downtown Jersey City, saying the city failed to file objections to the project within the 95-day grace period.
Construction of the project by developer Rushman-Dillon is expected to start in the spring of 2015. The project is located in the historic Van Vorst Park area, and raised objections from people living there.
Big festival comes to Washington Park
On Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Washington Park Association of Hudson County, Inc. will unleash a lineup of entertainers, visual artists and more at the fifth annual Washington Park LIVE! Arts & Music Festival between Paterson Plank Road and 2nd Street on the Union City/Jersey City border, complete with a main stage, beer garden, and food trucks. With more than 3,000 people expected the day will be a celebration of arts, music, dance and community, closing Palisade Avenue to traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Health program for seniors
Senior Power Indoor Fitness, sponsored by the Jersey City Department of Recreation, will start on Sept. 15 at the New Jersey City University’s John J. Moore Athletic Fitness Center. The program is held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to noon and will run through to Dec. 12. It is open to anyone 55 or older, and includes walking, strolling and swimming. For more information calls 201-547-5003.
BNI Gold Coast Chapter to Hold Visitors Day
BNI, an international networking organization specializing in business referrals among members, is holding a Visitors’ Day for its Gold Coast Chapter, Sept. 17 from 7 to 9 am at The Sheraton in Weehawken. This is a way for business to network. The international organization generated over 5.4 million referrals for member businesses in 2013 alone, which generated over $6.5 billion worth of business for its members. Anyone interested in attending the meeting is welcome and may call (914) 715-2058 for reservations. For more information about BNI, please visit our website at www.bni.com.
Second best in up and coming fitness city
Jersey City has been ranked the second best up-and-coming fitness city in the nation by Women’s Health Magazine as part of their “20 Best Up-and Coming Cities for Every Social Scene” report.
The report featured four categories and listed the top five cities in each group. Jersey City ranked second in the fitness category following Scottsdale, Arizona. The other three cities in the group were in order: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Heart walk slated for Sept. 28
The American Heart Association’s Hudson County Heart Walk will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28, in Lincoln Park, West Side in Jersey City. Activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. The Heart Walk, sponsored nationally by Subway, is the American Heart Association’s premiere event for raising funds to save lives from this country’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers – heart disease and stroke. Designed to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living, the Heart Walk creates an environment that’s fun and rewarding for the entire family. To learn more about the My Heart My Life movement or to register today for the Hudson County Heart Walk call Kristen Piccolo from the American Heart Association at (973) 291-4446 or log onto www.hudsoncountyheartwalk.org.
Daycare kids ingest bleach
Newspapers reported on Thursday that about 25 children from a day care center in Jersey City were evacuated to Jersey City Medical Center after apparently ingesting bleach. About five ambulances arrived at the Growing Tree Learning Center II on Fifth Street just before 11 a.m.
A police source said the children apparently mistook the bleach for water, although no other details are available.
Hospital officials, however, say none of the cases are life threatening.
Port operations get $14.8 million federal grant.
Port Newark was awarded a $14.8 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to improve and expand facilities at Port Newark, create hundreds of jobs and enhance economic opportunities throughout the region.
This was the result of a combined effort by U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, as well as Representatives Albio Sires and Donald Payne.
The Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) in Essex County plans to use this federal funding to demolish outdated warehouses and gate facilities, and construct new gate facilities and a new paved container storage area. It’s part of an overall $53.9 million project, largely funded through private investment, to double the port’s gate capacity, increase container yard capacity by 23 percent, improve overall service levels, and cut truck transaction times by as much as half.
The project is expected to generate 300, good-paying, full time jobs with an average annual salary of $84,000, create 150 construction jobs and reduce shipping costs through increased port productivity, keeping the costs for goods down across the region.
State and national figures to celebrate opening of prisoner reentry center
Democratic House Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi will join Gov. Christopher Christie, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and others for the grand opening of Martin’s Place, an all-inclusive prisoner re-entry program. The first of its kind, the program will serve as a nationwide model to significantly reduce ex-prisoners reentry to jail, while helping to meaningfully improve their lives and get them back on their feet in structured, sober housing with a job, greatly enhancing their chances of long-term success.
The grand opening celebration will feature keynotes from Pelosi, testimonials from people who’ve gone through the program, and a tour of the new Martin’s Place. The event takes place on Monday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. 398 Martin Luther King Jr Drive. For more information, contact Dan Capawana at dcapawana@randjpr.com or (908) 895-0791.
Hoboken Catholic Academy selling tickets for annual golf outing on Oct. 17
Hoboken Catholic Academy will hold its annual golf outing at Meadows Golf Club in Lincoln Park on Friday Oct. 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. The event of one of the largest fundraisers the parochial school relies on to supplement its funding from tuition every year. For a $150 ticket, participants can enjoy 18 holes of golf along with breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, the outing will hold a 50/50 raffle for prizes, along with special prizes award to the best foursome, longest drive and other categories. The event is open to both men and women. Those interested in attending should contact Mike Tennaro at (201) 659-4175 or mtbull0507@hotmail.com in order to receive an application. Meadows Golf Club is located at 79 Two Bridges Road in Lincoln Park, NJ.